Page 2371 - Week 08 - Tuesday, 12 August 2014
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home care and other relevant agencies and foster and kinship carers. And it will provide improved information management to support children and young people in care.
In 2014-15 the outputs for care and protection and youth justice have been combined, signalling intent to move towards integrated case management processes for these two statutory services. The outcomes being sought through this project include improved streamlining of processes and systems; the introduction of a single case management approach for children and young people; a reduction in the number of workers that a child or young person has to deal with; and improved collaboration and information sharing through our organisational structure. These reforms will enable the Community Services Directorate to implement the human services blueprint and the out of home care strategy and, mostly, importantly, deliver better outcomes for children, youth and their families.
I mentioned that this year is one for seeing results of our work. One example already this year has been the opening of the $3.05 million Melaleuca Place in July, the ACT’s new trauma recovery centre for children aged up to 12 years. Melaleuca Place fills an identified need for more holistic support for vulnerable young children and will also act as a means of providing the latest advice to all those working in the sector.
Finally, I would like to add a word of thanks to all those individuals and directorate staff who work with and provide services to the ACT’s most vulnerable children and young people. I thank you for the tough work you do in the most difficult of circumstances and commend the measures that I have outlined to this Assembly.
MR RATTENBURY (Molonglo—Minister for Territory and Municipal Services, Minister for Corrective Services, Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs and Minister for Sport and Recreation) (7.53): I rise to make a few remarks in relation to my responsibility as the Minister of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs.
The ACT government is committed to continuing to work with our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community to deliver improved life outcomes for those across the community. It is no secret, and all members know, that many in our Indigenous community continue to have life outcomes far lesser than those of other members of the community. That is a continuing challenge and one that we must seek to address.
The role of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elected Body is integral to the government making progress in this area. As has been mentioned today, we have just had an election. We have new members of the body in place, some returning and some new. I congratulate all the members on their election.
One of the key projects that we have going forward is the establishment of the whole-of-government agreement with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community. One of my priorities in working with the elected body is to get that agreement finalised as quickly as possible. What we are looking at in that agreement is a clear delineation of priorities for government driven directly by the community.
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